The Black Sea - anticlock wise gyre - why ?

[Laird]

Hi everyone

Does anyone know the cause of The Black Sea's anticlock wise
gyre and what are the possible consequencies.

Cordially Ken

[Alastair M]

"Laird" <kenlaird@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:94a02505.0208131250.189558@posting.google.com...
> Hi everyone
>
> Does anyone know the cause of The Black Sea's anticlock wise
> gyre and what are the possible consequencies.
>
> Cordially Ken

No, but I will post this to sci.oceanography. Maybe they will
have an answer.

Cheers, Alastair.

[Daryl Krup]

kenlaird@yahoo.com (Laird) wrote in message
news:<94a02505.0208131250.189558@posting.google.com>...
> Hi everyone
>
> Does anyone know the cause of The Black Sea's anticlock wise
> gyre and what are the possible consequencies.

Ken:

According to some researchers, there are actually two such
gyres (the dividing line being south of Crimea), but
assuming that there is only one gyre: Most of the river
water entering the Black Sea comes in at the northwestern
corner (especially from the Danube), and it all exits
through the Bosphorus, at the southwestern corner. This
alone might account for an anticlockwise gyre at the
surface, as the river water tends to stay near the surface,
floating above the denser, saltier water below. The salt
water entering the Black Sea along the bottom of the
Bosphorus, like all descending currents in the Northern
Hemisphere, is deflected to the right as it drops to the
bottom of the Black Sea basin. This sets up a deeper
anticlockwise gyre that helps to drive the surface current.

I hope that that's explanation enough.

If you don't mind my asking, why are you interested?

Cordially yours, Daryl Krupa